This discussion focuses on rapidly progressive eye symptoms and emergent op
hthalmologic problems in patients with diabetes mellitus. Blindness is a fe
ared complication of diabetes, and may result from a variety of conditions,
most commonly diabetic retinopathy. Urgent laser treatments have been show
n to protect vision in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and
clinically significant macular edema. Other emergent conditions discussed
are vitreous hemorrhage, retinal vascular occlusions, ocular motor nerve pa
lsies, and severe eye infections.